


Cigarettes and Whiskey

by raidbossmadi



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Ashe is lonely, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, Pre-Overwatch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2019-10-15 04:10:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17521742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidbossmadi/pseuds/raidbossmadi
Summary: “Ashe, I am terribly sorry.” Bars said he was crouched on the ground obscuring whatever it was he’d wanted her to see. “I know the two of you were close once…”An Exploration of Ashe and Mccree's relationship from the founding of Deadlock and beyond.





	1. Back to the Beginning

“Ashe! Come ‘ere, Bars found somethin’ he thinks you should see it.” 

Ashe huffed and glared in the direction of Terran and Bars. They had been out here for the better part of an hour and all they had found was wreckage and debris. She was curious as to what exactly had caused the scattered hover cars to crash into each other so violently but if there was nothing of interest for them to bring back to the rest of the gang what was even the point of it all. 

She sauntered over wiping the sweat from her eyes as she planted herself between the two of them. “Well what’s so damn important you couldn’t of brought it to me.” 

“Ashe, I am terribly sorry.” Bars said he was crouched on the ground obscuring whatever it was he’d wanted her to see. “I know the two of you were close once…” 

“Bars what in the Sam Hill are you even talkin’ about? Both you and Terran are being so cagey this ain’t like you.” Frustrated she took a step forward to see around Bars and as soon as she did her world ended. 

She hadn’t noticed that someone had called Bob over until she collapsed backwards into his arms. Her ears were ringing and her heart was racing. No! No! This couldn’t be. She felt a sharp sting as she was able to focus her eyes again realising quite suddenly the sensation was Terran slapping her on the cheek. 

“C’mon boss snap outta it, it’s alright.”

“No! It ain’t alright! This… is this some kind is sick prank I’m gonna…” Whatever threat Ashe was going to make was lost as she stumbled out of Bobs arms and emptied the contents of her stomach into a nearby shrub. Her head was still spinning as she willed herself to look again leaning against Bob for support. 

There on the scorching desert ground was a severed arm, not an uncommon find at wreckage site but there was one distinct feature of this arm that had turned everything she thought she knew upside down. On the inner forearm was a tattoo identical to the one on her forearm. 

“God Jesse no…”  


* * *

They were young and stupid. They thought they would live forever because despite the fact that they probably should have been caught seven heist ago they were still wild, free, and living life the way they wanted. This was what Elizabeth lived for; riding her hoverbike down the narrow road of Deadlock Gorge with Jesse on the back of her bike as the sun set.

“So Cowboy, what do you say about driving up to the top of the gorge and laying back to look at the stars?” She asked as they came to the edge of the gorge. They’d spent the better part of the day with the other two founders, Alex and Josè scoping out a perspective score, now she wanted some alone time. Just the two of them and the wide open sky.

“Sounds good to me darlin’, our favourite spots not to far off.” He gave her midsection a squeeze and grazed the her shoulder with his lips. She gave a purr of agreement and pulled the bike off the road and up the invisible trail she had ridden more times than she could count. 

From the top Deadlock Gorge looked beautiful in a way that couldn’t be appreciated from the inside the canyon. Ashe stood on near edge of the cliff surveying the land she now ruled, a Queen looking down on her kingdom. She turned back to Jesse who was pulling a blanket out of the cargo space of her bike and going about setting it on the ground. 

“You nervous about the next score?” He asked as they laid down together curling into each other. 

She laughed and gave him a nip on the ear. “Am I ever nervous about a score Jesse?” 

“I remember when we first met, you didn’t know anything about this life Liz. You woulda got yourself killed if it weren’t us bumping into each other.I think you were nervous then.” He nuzzled into her neck as she huffed but since she didn’t push him away he knew that she was conceding the point. 

“That was years ago, I'd like to think that as the leader of this gang my nerves are steel.” Had anyone else questioned her resolve she might have popped them in the jaw, but she and Jesse had always kept each other in check. Her protests fell away as he threaded his hand through her hair and she cast her gaze skyward to look at the stars above. It used to make her feel so small the vastness of the open sky, but there was a comfort in it now. The sky, the desert, and Jesse Mccree, that was all she needed, all she wanted. 

“C’mon Liz. We should probably be getting back before Bob comes checking on if we’re dead or not.” Jesse’s voice pulled her back to reality, she wanted to protest, to spend the rest of the night out here with him. But he was right they hadn’t told anyone where they were going and that was dangerous. 

She rubbed her tired eyes and wrapped the blanket around herself handing him the keys. “Think you can drive us home?” 

“You’re trustin’ me to drive your bike, you sure you’re feeling alright Ashe.” 

She punched his shoulder lightly. “Shut up an’ drive us home.”

* * *


	2. Preparations

“Ey Bob my man, Ashe still asleep?” Josè asked approaching the large Omnic that was hanging about in the garage with Bars and the gang's newest Omnic recruit Lugnut. It was the equivalent of the rest of the gang getting coffee in the canteen which of course the Omnics were always welcome in but they seemed to like to avoid their half awake human gang members. 

Bob nodded and made a soft whirring sound. Josè always did wonder why the Omnic lacked the ability to speak but he didn’t have the courage to ask Bob himself or Ashe. He did however groan internally at the prospect of disturbing Ashe, but Alex wanted to talk so that meant everyone had to be rounded up and accounted for. 

He made for the long hallway that separated the bases dormitory from the rest of the compound, something Ashe herself had personally requested upon laying down the plans for how the base would be built. She had said that she didn’t want hers or anyone else’s sleep to be disrupted by whatever wild goings on the rest of the gang happened to get into and since she was the one funding it no one was going to argue. Ashe’s door had a large black ‘A’ spray painted onto it after a few times of her getting turned around and lost she thought it would be better if everyone put their initials on their door. 

Josè knocked once waited then knocked again when didn’t hear anyone. The second knock was met by the door clicking open but the person who opened it wasn’t Ashe. Instead Josè was treated to the sight of Mccree shirtless though still wearing for some ungodly reason, that damned cowboy hat he was so found of. 

“Mornin’ Josè, what can I help you with?” Mccree smiled a smile that made the other man feel like he was looking at the cat that had swallowed the canary. 

“Ashe there or are you keeping her bed warm for her?” 

“Course she’s here, still asleep though. You know how teenage girls are.” Mccree shrugged keeping his voice down not wanting to earn her ire. 

“Well get her up and going by nine at least. Alex wants to talk about the heist.” Josè waited for Mccree to nod in agreement then turned and headed back where he’d came from. 

Mccree clicked the door closed and turned back to the bed in the centre of the room. Ashe was curled up with her upper half exposed but her legs and feet tucked snuggly in blankets. She was wearing a low cut tank top her back was facing him and as he climbed back into the bed he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

She made a low whining noise and batted at his hand pulling the covers up and over her head. When he didn’t relent she finally peered out of the blanket, her hair sticking this way and that.  
“Jesse you had better hope the base is on fire, cos if it ain’t there is no reason to be wakin’ me up at this hour.” She hissed throwing her pillow at him as she untangled from the sheets she might be a grouch in the morning but she knew that something must be going on for Jesse to be awake at this hour as well. 

“Nothin’ quite that severe Liz, Josè came knockin and said that Alex wanted to talk to us all. You know how he is.” 

Ashe groaned as she grabbed her hair brush off the nightstand. “Alex always wants to talk about somethin’ can someone please just duct tape his mouth closed for a week.” 

She was starting to wonder how Alex had ever managed to survive on his own because he never seemed to want to shut up. He was great at planning things though which is why she had taken him into the fold, at twenty-one was also older than herself, Jesse, and Josè which came in handy when it came to getting the scoop on scores. Once she was presentable she turned around to see that Jesse had also slipped back into his clothes from the day before pretending to be asleep on the bed. 

“If I don’t get to sleep neither do you cowboy c’mon.” She teased grabbing his hand and pulling him off the bed. As he regained his balance she reached over and stole his hat placing it on her head and heading out the door as he called “Hey!” after her.

“Gonna have to catch me if you want your hat back Jesse.” She called already halfway down the hall by the time he got out of the room. She was surprised when he rolled out of a side hallway and managed to steal the hat back but her surprise soon turned to peals of laughter. 

“Aw man you’re gettin’ better at that.” she said once she finally caught her breath. The both of them loved to tease each other like this and had been doing it since they first met back in Texas. She knew that Alex and Josè were probably getting tired of waiting for them but they could wait as far as she was concerned, after all Deadlock was _her_ gang. 

Bob was already waiting for them outside the door to the room they used as an office. Ashe gave him a smile and thanks as he opened the door for the two of them and then followed in behind Mccree. As she expected Alex and Josè were already at the table waiting, Alex was looking down at a map of the surrounding area likely making sure his markers were correct and Josè was sipping at a mug of coffee giving the two stragglers a wave as they walked in.

“Nice of you to finally join us, Ashe.”

“Cut the shit Alex, you’re the one who decided this couldn’t wait until a more reasonable time of day, so what’s the deal?” She walked over to the table and took a seat looking at the map. 

“There’s a truck caravan coming in on the roads just alongside the gorge in two days time. If we get everything in place we can easily detonate some charges and the cargo is all ours.” Alex explained pointing to the map as he talked there were X’s placed on the spots in the road he wanted the detonations placed and Ashe had to agree it was a sound plan. 

“What are we lookin’ to bring in from this?” 

“Some nice bits tech, weapons I’m sure. It’ll fetch us a pretty penny on the black market.” 

She nodded and looked around the room, no one seemed to have any objections so now it was just a matter of getting the gang together and getting work.

“We do need to be careful though.” Josè piped up. “Score like this is gonna attract the other gangs in the area’s attention too, they’re already unhappy about us coming and setting up shop out of nowhere.” 

“Well we’ll deal with it if it comes to that.” Ashe shot back, she wasn’t afraid of a little competition if it meant cementing the fact that they meant business to the other gangs. She knew what they said about the upstart Deadlock crew, how their leaders doubted that they would last six months without someone running off with the gangs take. Ashe didn’t tolerate that kind of behaviour in her crew and that was well known by those who chose to serve under her. Just last week she had Bob tie a would be turncoat to the flagpole outside and leave him there to fry in the Arizona heat. 

“Right so Josè, I’m trusting you to see to it that in two days time those explosives will be in place.” 

“Yes ma’am, you can count on me. I’ll go get some of the boys on it right away.” 

“Good. Oh and Alex I want you to go tell Bars to take stock of the ammunition I wanna know what we got to work with at the moment.” Ashe was meticulous about making sure that everything was accounted for, she managed the gang's finances and had everything to the letter and she expected everything else to be recorded in the same fashion, every bullet and gun was to be written down and accounted for before and after every heist they pulled. 

“What do you want me to do Ashe?” Jesse asked as the other two filled out to get to work on their assigned tasks. 

“I got a special task in mind for you Cowboy, c’mon I want you to tell me more about them flash grenades you picked up in our hit on the Military surplus.” She said not elaborating more as she all but dragged him behind her.


	3. Challenges

The night before the heist Ashe doesn’t sleep, she never sleeps before a hit. Her stomach is too busy tying itself in knots and her mind was going a thousand miles a minute trying to make sense of it all. It was just her and Bob tonight, she always sent Jesse back to his room on the night before so he wouldn’t know how she suffered, she’d tell him that she didn’t want to risk his snoring keeping her up but she had a feeling he knew the truth. 

She curled into a ball in the center of the bed, it was a mattress on the floor with blankets but it always made her feel better to call it a bed. What was she even doing out here, maybe she should of just stayed in her boring picturesque life. Should have stayed pretending to be the perfect daughter to two absentee but perfect parents, how could they not be perfect after all they were the Ashe’s and if there was one thing the Ashe family was it was perfect… Hence why she had been sent to private school from the minute she was old enough, why her mother and father didn’t take her out to events or even add pictures of her to the ones of themselves that hung throughout the house. 

Elizabeth Ashe wasn’t perfect, her albinism all but crushed that idea the moment she’d come into this world. Her parents had said it was for her own safety that she be kept in the care of the family’s omnic housekeeper, that she was to stay in her room when guest came over because it was the polite thing to do. But she had heard the conversations she knew that had there been some sort of intervention that could have ‘fixed’ her, her parents would have jumped on it at a moment's notice. As long as she lived there was no perfection in the Ashe family and for the longest time that was all the motivation she needed to keep living. 

Why then did she even want to go back? Why did some part of her miss it in the slightest? She didn’t know the answers to these questions and that just made the knot in her stomach tighten. She was tough because she’d had to tackle the world swinging if she didn’t the current of fate would wash her away and her life would be someone else’s. 

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt fingers on her back but a soft whir reassured her it was only Bob. She uncurled and looked into the face of the one person who had always been there for her and she gave him a false smile. 

“It’s alright Bob, I’m just gonna go take a walk to clear my head I think…” She hurries out of her room not caring that she forgot to slip shoes on as she walks out to the scaffolding walkway outside the base she hangs her legs over side and watches the gang members entering and exiting the bar below. She lights a cigarette and looks up at the moon, no matter where she is the moon is always the same at least. 

“You mind if I join you Liz?” She gives a simple nod but doesn’t turn to acknowledge Jesse as she listens to his footsteps get closer and he sits down next to her. She offers him a cigarette still not able to bring herself to look at him lest she breakdown right then and there. 

“Ain’t you supposed to be asleep.” She asks breaking the pregnant silence between them. 

“Ain’t you.” He shoots back and she punches him in the shoulder before leaning in and resting her head on it. 

“Jesse, do you ever wish things could’ve been different? You know like being born someone else or someplace else.” 

He gives wraps an arm around her and gives her a squeeze “I used to, then I realised that wishing I was someone else only makes bein’ me harder. You can’t change who you are Liz, you can only change how you see yourself.” 

She frowns but he gently turns her head to look at him and plants a kiss on her forehead “Now you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to but I’m not gonna leave you out here to suffer alone.” 

She continues to be silent battling the urge to just breakdown and tell him everything that’s bothering her. She can’t bring herself to open up to him like that just yet not even after everything they’ve been through together. She’s so used to having no one that she’s convinced if she told him he’d leave her too. 

“C’mon let’s get you back to bed, tomorrow’s the big day I’d hate to see you fall asleep standing up or somethin’” 

She goes to protest but Jesse already has her in his arms carrying her back to her room. She’s too tired to protest at this point and settles into his embrace. 

Bob whirs in concern as Jesse all but kicks open the door to her room but he reassures the omnic that she’s fine, just tired. Ashe was fully expecting him to set her down and leave but instead he crawls into bed with her, she doesn’t have the energy to tell him to leave and she doesn’t want him to leave. She buries herself in his chest and finally relaxes, for the first time before a heist she manages to sleep.

* * *

An explosion sounds in the distance and Ashe peers around the rock she had taken cover behind. Josè is standing on a high point and upon seeing her poke her head out she sees him give her a thumbs up. Phase one was a go, onto phase two, she pulled a bandana out of her back pocket and tied it around her face. 

“C’mon Mccree, Bob. Let’s go.” The trio moved as a group approaching the now wrecked trio of trucks that had been tipped over by the denotations. Alex and Bars should have dealt with the drivers by now but Ashe pokes her gun into the cabins just in case. 

“Breaching cargo on three. Stand clear!l Alex calls from the back of the truck Ashe just checked the cabin of. 

She and Mccree huddle up behind Bob and wait for the smoke to stop wafting from the back before approaching. They spot Alex adjusting his bandana but the way his eyes are crinkled tell of the manic grin beneath.

“Been going smooth so far.” 

“ We’ve only just begun now.” She shoots back , there was still time for things to go wrong. She watches Bob and Lugnut fiddle with the hover dolly the other omnic had brought over before leading Alex into the cargo hold. 

They had only just finished relieving the first truck of its cargo when a call of alarm went up. “God dammit now what did I say Alex.” Ashe hissed hurrying in the direction of the commotion. 

Bars was perched on an outcrop his sniper rifle pointed down the road Dove, Heidi, Josè, and Thomas were skirmishing with a group of thugs in blue jackets. The Jackals had come out of the woodwork to get a piece of the action. The sound of gunfire echoed and she cursed under her breathe again. 

“Mccree!” 

“Already on it Liz.” He said unhooking a flash grenade from his belt and the both of them rushed off to help their fellow gang mates. 

She holds the back line popping the sight on the Viper to take headshots. Mccree heads in to the heart of the battle and with a bang a flash grenade goes off causing chaos and scattering the group. 

By the time the dust had settled Ashe isn’t quite sure if this was worth the trouble. Jesse returns to her side as she wipes sweat from her face and she turns to congratulate the gang on a job well done. However before the words leave her lips she looks at the face startled and worried faces of her crew and the floret of red stains that her pants. It takes a moment for her to process that it’s her blood she’s looking at and a moment longer for the pain to register. She crumples into Jesse’s arms and the calm that had descended is immediately shattered. 

“Shit.” Mccree curses as he catches her the other gang mates rushing in. Everyone is talking at the same time and he can’t think straight, he’s still processing the event himself and almost feels like he’s not fully in control of his actions. “Shuddup all of y’all!” He yells the commanding tone in his voice surprising those gathered. 

“Bob! Hot wire one these here trucks would ya, I’ll drive her back to the base it’s the fastest way. We’ve got medical supplies there, it’ll be fine.” He’s not sure who he’s trying to convince with that last statement, Ashe, the gang, himself ,or all three. 

Ashe is still conscious which he takes as a good sign but she’s awfully quiet which is strange for her of all people. He figures she doesn’t want to seem weak in front of the others and admired her resolve but at the same time he wants to remind her she’s human, she doesn’t have to be perfect. 

“Laurel will get you all patched up don’t you worry.” He says as he lifts her into the passenger seat of the truck Bob had successfully started. 

“Patched up and lectured.” She says rolling her eyes, typical Ashe. “Not the best way to prove I’m a competent leader now is it.” 

“Oh come on Liz, smarts ain’t gonna make you bulletproof darlin.” He gives her shoulder a squeeze and floors the trucks gas pedal, making it back to Deadlock base in record time. 

Laurel is waiting for them, Alex or Josè must have phoned ahead. The gang’s de facto medic was a nurse once before the omnic crisis had destroyed the hospital she worked at and unwilling to relocate she had turned to a life of crime. 

“Give her here Jesse, I’ll see to it she’s right as rain in no time.” 

“Make sure you behave Liz.” He teases earning him a glare from Ashe as she shifts to let Laurel pick her up. The two women disappearing into the heart of the base while he figures out where to park the truck that’s not obvious, picking a cave off the beaten path. He decided then it was best to leave Laurel to her work and headed to the bar to down a few whiskeys to calm his nerves while he waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so just a note I'm trying to keep consistent updates but I'm also a college student so there may be small gaps between chapters thank you for your understanding


	4. The Picture

It would take more than a gunshot to keep Ashe down, she recovers nicely and if anything the botched job teaches her that they needed to get their numbers up before trying something so bold again. In the following months the Deadlock gang doubles in size and they expand the base. Jose and Alex suggest assimilating smaller gangs which is a process but Ashe agrees with it nonetheless. 

This should be a time of prosperity and growth yet a dark cloud seems to hang over Ashe’s head, reminding her of her failures. The voice in her head is her father’s though the two haven’t spoken in a year and a half she can still hear his voice criticizing her every move. Do better, work harder, an Ashe doesn't settle. She knows she isn’t settling but the internalised insults sting all the same.

She was taking pot shots at sand bags she’d set up outside the base trying to tame her feelings in a healthy way. The sun was setting though and it was getting harder to tell what was a target and what might be one of the boys coming back from the Panorama so she unloaded the Viper and headed back inside. 

A ruckus awaited her as she entered the main hall to find Mccree’s record player set out on one of tables while Alex, Josè, Mccree, and Bob were all sitting at the main table playing Texas hold’em. 

“Well, well look who decided to join us. C’mon take a seat Miss Calamity and we’ll deal you in.” Alex calls flicking his brows at her. She sneers at him for the nickname, he and Josè has taken to calling her Miss Calamity not long after they’d all joined up. She assumed it had to do with the fact that upon first settling in Arizona she had a habit of tripping over things she couldn’t see in the sun. She had no intention of finding out if this was the case or not. 

“Yeah alright. Deal me in Bob.” She takes the empty chair across the table from Mccree. Bob hands her three cards then goes about dealing to the rest of the table. 

“You’re aim get any better yet Ashe or you still shooting a little high?” Josè chimes in likely to get on her nerves and make her tell more obvious. She knows it bait yet she can’t help herself. 

“Shut the fuck up Josè, if you think I’m such a bad shot how about we go outside and I take a shot at an apple on your head.” 

“Easy there Liz, you know he didn’t mean nothin’ by it.” Jesse cuts in feeling the tension in the room go up immediately. 

“Don’t you easy there me, look I get it. I can’t see very well I know, I am the one whose had to live with it my whole life.” She hisses and looks at the community cards then down at her hand. shit cards she thinks and opts to fold. 

“Leave her alone Josè, at least she can drink you under the table.” Alex jests hoping to turn the attention to him and give Ashe time to cool off. It works for the moment and Mccree gives Alex a subtle tip of his hat in thanks. 

The next couple rounds go well with less jabbing each other where it hurt and more good natured jokes. Ashe feels herself relaxing for what feels like the first time in weeks. No matter the hurdles they have to overcome they all come back together. Even if their teasing does get her fired up she knows that this is how family is supposed to be and she’s relieved to have finally found one worth fighting for. 

“C’mon Ashe smile!” Mccree says suddenly pulling her from her thoughts.

“What?” 

Too late a flash goes off and immortalises her confusion forever. She glares at Alex whoes beaming from behind the camera. “No take backs.” 

“You’re insufferable, all of you.” She lights a cigarette, the smell Jesse’s cigar smoke tempting her into one herself. She finds it a bit ironic that she prefers to smoke the cheap shit, then again she’s always preferred the simple things in life no matter the extravagance and privilege she grew up in. Then she sighs at looks at her newly felt hand, hopefully this round will go better for her than the last. 

Ashe doesn’t remember falling asleep at the table but a gentle nudge from Mccree and the otherwise empty table tells another story. She rubs her eyes and quirks a brow at him. 

“It’s nearly 5am baby girl.” He picks her up bridal style and she’s too tired to complain. They return to her room, Bob already in sleep mode in the corner and Ashe not to far off from drifting off again in Mccree’s arms. He sets her down and goes to make for his room as he only stays with her when she asks him too. 

“Don’t go, please.” She protests. He turns back around and climbs into the bed, Ashe curls into him. She’s not very cuddly when she’s awake but when they sleep together she’s harder to pull off than a bandage. 

Sometimes he wonders how he got here,from a small town texas ranch boy to an outlaw in the middle of the southwest with the prettiest, most intelligent woman he had ever met. Yes they could both be rough around the edges but they softened each other, he knew Ashe had been having a hard time lately and he wanted to be there for her but he couldn’t get her to open up unless she wanted to he knew it was much more important to just be there for her.

* * *

They’re sitting at the bar a couple nights later , Ashe had amassed a small collection of whiskey shots. Mccree puts a gentle hand around her shoulders and she shoves at him but he holds fast and leans into her ear. 

“What’s eatin’ you darlin?” 

Her crimson gaze bores through him, she doesn’t want to talk but he knows that the alcohol in her system will win over. 

“You put that dumb picture up in our room.” 

“Oh c’mon it’s a nice picture of us Ashe.” He soothes rubbing her shoulder.

“There ain’t no such thing as a good picture of me.” He thinks back to the old Ashe manor, how there weren’t any pictures of the Ashe’s daughter, or any in her room until he’d put up the one from poker night. Is she ashamed of her appearance?

“Why do you say that darlin’” She glares again like he should know better but he doesn’t he can’t think of a good reason why she wouldn’t have a single picture of herself. 

“Jesse, you ain’t that thick in the head and I ain’t that drunk. Look at me, what do you see?” 

“I see a wonderful young woman, with beautiful skin and stunning eyes, hair like the light of rising sun. I see the woman I love.” Before she can protest he turns her head towards her and kisses her. She leans into him almost too far so he readjusts to keep her from falling off her bar stool. 

“You’re such a romantic ain’t you.” She purrs as they break for breath. He’s the only thing that matters and if he wants to keep that damn picture up, she supposes she can compromise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry I've been busy with school work and life and it put off working on this chapter for a while but I hope you're all still enjoying the ride.


	5. Gone

“Scans of the base show large amounts of explosives, not to mention they built it into the cliff side.” Gerard slid the X-ray images across the table in front of the gathered Blackwatch operatives, it was unusual for this many high ranking agents to be in Watchpoint Grand Mesa but duty called. 

“You telling me you can’t deal with a little heat Gerard?” Commander Reyes scowled from his place at the head of the table. 

“It’s not a little heat Reyes, I don’t think any of us expected them to be this well established this early on.We meet them head on they might just have the push back.” 

Reyes nodded and pulled out two files. “And what of the targets?” 

“Internal intel states that Jesse Mccree is loyal to the cause, but well meaning working mostly under Elizabeth Ashe’s influence. Split him off from the rest of the gang and it should be an easy sell, we’ve dealt with his type before.” 

A silence hung in the air for a few moments while Reyes took in this information seemingly weighing his options. 

“And Elizabeth Ashe?” 

“As predicted she is a spitfire, doesn’t compromise, she’s too stubborn to bow to authority even if we were to capture her there’s no guarantee she wouldn’t just chose prison-”

“And? We get the leader of Deadlock off the streets.” 

“Do you really think Reyes that Deadlock wouldn’t have the resources to bust their leader out of a supermax?Perhaps you should read the dossier again.”

Gabriel growled at the other man but said nothing more as Gerard continued. 

“On top of that Dr. O’deorian had some concerns about Ms.Ashe from a medical standpoint. I will allow her to explain.”

All eyes shifted to the head of Blackwatch’s medical division as she pulled out a file of her own. A calculated look crossing her face as she thumbed through the documents. 

“Elizabeth Ashe would be unnecessary drag on resources even if her temperament were compatible with our goals. She’s a type one Albino, which comes with it factors that raise concern on my part, some of which have been dealt with medically in the past. My concern is we would be spending more money on her medical bill than we would be training her, and I doubt we’d be able to keep such things under Dr.Zeigler’s nose.” Dr. O’deorian looked back to Reyes her eyes were steely and seemed to answer a question that wasn’t being asked. 

“Understood, we’ll continue with the plan as intended. No harm should come to Jesse Mccree and we should try to avoid casualties at all but our target is likely to be uncooperative if we kill his friends, use the girl as leverage if needed.” Reyes turned and began to walk away from the table signaling the end of this meeting, the others gathered their things and dispersed in kind.

* * *

_Bang_

Several members of the Deadlock gang ran as bits of clay pigeon rained down on them as they made their way back to the base. Ashe, the source of the earthen rain sat on high and giggled as she watched them scrambled away. 

“Throw another one Bob!” She called to her omnic companion as she loaded another round of bullets into the Viper. Mcree was out scouting a potential hit, she had wanted to come but he’d assured her that it would be less conspicuous if he went alone. Even though she knew that he was more than capable of taking care of himself something didn’t feel right to her. She had paced the base a few times and when that had made her feel claustrophobic she’d come out here to the balcony to shoot and hopefully settle her nerves.

“I’m just being silly ain’t I?” She asked Bob who stopped what he was doing to give her his full attention. “ I mean Jesse ain’t some helpless child, hell he knows his way outta a tough situation better than I do. So why am I so worried? He’ll be gone for a few hours then come back just like he always does.” 

Bob gave a soft whirr and shrugged before walking over to her and giving her shoulder a squeeze. As much as she appreciated the action it reminded her how much she wished Bob was able to talk and give her the verbal reassurance she needed yet felt like she couldn’t get from anyone else outside of Jesse. The Viper clattered to the floor forgotten for a moment as she turned and embraced the omnic finding comfort in feeling him around her as she had since she was a small child. A few moments passed before the omnic whirred again, Ashe looked up at him and he gestured at the gun on the floor and did one of the few signs she knew. 

_{Again?}_

She shook her head. “Actually Bob I think I’m feeling a bit tired, I think I might go settle down for a nap.” Bob gave her a gentle pat on the head, picked up the gun and went to go put away the rest of the shooting supplies. Ashe knew that he’d probably sit outside her door once he was finished since he wouldn’t want to risk waking her up and she found comfort in knowing that he’d be there if she needed him. She couldn’t imagine telling Alex or Josè that she was worrying about Mccree else they’d rib on her and while she knew that was them trying to lighten her spirits in their own way she didn’t much appreciate it when she felt vulnerable like this. Even in the perfect family some secrets had to be kept. 

She hadn’t expected to actually drift off but as she laid in bed the warmth and comfort of her blankets and the lingering scent of Jesse brought her a sense of ease and before she knew it she was out like a light.

* * *

She stood facing her parents though they towered above her like giants and when she looked up to see their faces all that was there was a dark shadow and the malicious glint of razor sharp teeth. Her mother's hands like claws grabbed at the scruff of her jacket and hoisted her into the air the way one might grab a misbehaving animal. Now she was eye level with the maw of teeth curved into a smile that only made her blood run cold the longer she looked but could not bring herself to look away. 

“An Ashe doesn’t make mistakes, don’t you know that dear?” The frightening maw gnashed inches away from her daughters face. “Yet here you are, the same mistake you were when you were born. I always told your father I don’t know why we bothered giving you world you were always just going to squander it.” 

Elizabeth gritted her teeth as she looked into the void where her mother's piercing eyes would have been. “Then I guess I ain’t an Ashe am I? Is that what you want?! Is it? I’m gonna make something of myself unlike you and dad, I ain’t gonna lick the boots of the people on top I’m gonna be on top someday. Someday you’re gonna wish I was still your daughter.” 

The monstrous figure of her mother growled at her daughters dismissive retort. “Who taught you to speak like that to your mother young lady.” Elizabeth found herself being lifted higher into the air as her mother angled her head below her. She closed her eyes as she felt herself fall but even still she could hear the sound of teeth chomping ever closer.

* * *

Ashe wakes with a start, she’s drenched in cold sweat and the sound she had heard in her dreams followed her into the waking world. It takes a few seconds to register with her that the sound is not in fact the teeth of a monster but someone banging on her bedroom door. 

“Ashe! Open up!” It’s Alex’s voice that comes from the other side of the door followed by what sounded like a concerned whir from Bob. She works to untangle herself from the blankets unable to yell back as her throat has gone dry. Her heart is still pounding in her ears from the nightmare as she drags herself from bed and flings open the door. 

The annoyance on her face disappears as soon as she lays sight on what’s waiting for her behind the door. It’s not just Alex and Bob; Josè, Bars, and Laurel are there too. Ashe decides immediately she doesn’t like the look on their faces. 

“Mind if we come in, Hun?” Laurel asks in the motherly tone that Ashe always found comforting to a degree. She still looks confused but nods and steps aside.

“Yeah...mind tellin’ me what this all about?” Ashe decides that with this many people in a room that’s not necessarily meant to hold them all the best thing to do would be to perch back on bed, she thinks how she really should look into getting a chair in here at some point. 

No one says anything until the door clicks shut after they’ve all filed in. They still don’t say anything as they all look around to each other, all eyes finally landing on Laurel. 

“Elizabeth, hun. I hate to be the bearer of bad news…” Laurel steps into the space between them all and Ashe and places a hand on the her leaders knee. “Jesse’s missing, there was sign of a struggle, we think he’s been caught or…” She doesn’t finish the sentence. 

Ashe does her best impression of a large mouthed Bass as she processes exactly what Laurel just said. The tears come before anything else, tears of anger and hurt. 

“What are you lot doin’ here standing around then?!” She hisses shoving Laurels hand off as she shoots to her feet. “If Mccree’s captured ain’t it on us to save him?!” 

“Ashe… we ain’t got any leads, we don’t even know who took him.” Alex pipes up “Don’t you think we looked before we came to tell you. Heck even Bars went out to where Jesse shoulda been his scans didn’t pick up nothing.” 

“Alex’s words are accurate Ashe, I didn’t even see any proof that Mccree made it that fair it’s like he never came through at all.” Bars chimes in backing up Alex as the Deadlock leaders fiery glare pins itself on him. 

“Bob? Even you?” She asks a degree of hurt in her voice that her omnic companion would know that Jesse was missing before she did. He whirrs sadly. 

_{Nothing}_

“Get out. All of you. Get.Out.” Several voices of protest ring out but Ashe is listening to none of them she rises and stomps to the door opening and pointing angrily until they leave. Part of her is yelling that she should go and see if she can find anything, another part tells her she knows what she’ll find. That part wins out and she collapses on the floor in a fit of rage and sorrow not caring if her sobs carry through the whole damn base. 

He wasn’t coming back. She had failed him just like everyone else. Why was she such a fucking failure?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! It's been a hot minute, I'm sorry this update took such a long time but march ended up being a lot busier than I expected and I had very little energy to write. Hopefully this chapter makes up for that ^^

**Author's Note:**

> It's been awhile since I've written a long form fanfic but I hope you enjoy this exploration Ashe and Mccrees relationship.


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